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Falafel
Falafel (or felafel)Oxford University Press, "Oxford Dictionaries Online: 'falafel', Oxford Dictionaries Online, Retrieved 2017-06-26. ( , ; ) is a deep-fried ball, or a flat or doughnut-shaped patty, made from ground chickpeas, fava beans, or both. Herbs, spices, and onion relatives are commonly added to the dough. It is a very famous Middle Eastern dish that most likely originated in Egypt. The fritters are now found around the world as part of vegetarian cuisine, and as a form of street food. Falafel balls are commonly served in a pita, which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flatbread, also known in western Arab countries as taboon. Falafel also frequently refers to a wrapped sandwich prepared with falafel balls laid over a bed of salad or pickled vegetables and drizzled with hot sauce or a tahini sauce. Falafel balls may also be eaten alone as a snack, or served as part of an assortment of appetizers known as a meze. Etymology The English word falafel or felafel is a loanword from the Levantine Arabic falāfil ( American Heritage Dictionary, 5th edition (2011), s.v. falafel http://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=falafel&submit.x=38&submit.y=12 Levantine: , It may come from the plural of the earlier filfil ( ), possibly from Persian pilpil, or from the Aramaic pilpāl, meaning a small round thing or a peppercorn, from palpēl, to be round, to roll. It has been found as a foreign-language term in an English publication as early as 1941,Joseph Williams McPherson, The moulids of Egypt, 1941 Google Books though the Oxford English Dictionary gives its earliest attestation in 1951. Falafel is also known as ( ) in many parts of Egypt; the word is derived from a diminutive form of the Classical Arabic word ( , "food"); the particular form indicates "a unit" of the given root in this case ( , having to do with taste and food), thus meaning "a little piece of food" or "small tasty thing". Nevertheless, in Alexandria, it is called falafel. The word falafel can refer to the fritters themselves or to sandwiches filled with them. History The origin of falafel is controversial. A widely held theory is that the dish was invented in Egypt about 1000 years ago by Egyptians. As Alexandria is a port city, it was possible to export the dish and name to other areas in the Middle East. The dish later migrated northwards to the Levant, where chickpeas replaced the fava beans. It has been speculated, with no concrete evidence, that its history may go back to Pharaonic Egypt. Other theories propose that it came from the Arabs or Turks; or that the chickpea-based food came from Yemen. Middle East Falafel grew to become a common form of street food or fast food in much of the Middle East, especially in the Levant and Egypt. The croquettes are regularly eaten as part of meze. During Ramadan, falafel balls are sometimes eaten as part of the iftar, the meal that breaks the daily fast after sunset. Falafel became so popular that McDonald's for a time served a "McFalafel" in its breakfast menu all over Egypt. Falafel is still popular with Egyptians, who eat it on a regular basis along with ful medames and even cook large volumes during religious holidays. Debates over the origin of falafel have sometimes devolved into political discussions about the relationship between Arabs and Israelis. In modern times, falafel has been considered a national dish in Egypt,Claudia Roden A Book of Middle Eastern Food (Penguin, 1970) pp. 60–61. also in Palestine, and of Israel. Alan Davidson, Oxford Companion to Food (Oxford University Press, 1999) p. 287 Resentment exists amongst many Palestinians for what they see as the appropriation of their dish by Israelis. [http://www.haaretz.com/jewish/food/.premium-1.689654?=&ts=_1500287414416 Liz Steinberg Did Jews invent felafel after all? Haaretz] Additionally, the Lebanese Industrialists' Association attempted to claim Protected Designated Origin status, partly to prevent Israeli use of the word. Falafel is eaten by Mizrahi Jews who originally resided in Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Jordan, etc. Later, it was adopted by early Ashkenazi Jewish olim to pre-state Israel. Due to its being entirely plant based, it is considered pareve under Jewish dietary laws and gained acceptance with Ashkenazi Jews to whom it had been unfamiliar, because it could be eaten with meat or dairy meals. North America In North America, prior to the 1970s, falafel was found only in Middle Eastern neighborhoods and restaurants. Charles Perry, "Middle Eastern Influences on American Food" in Andrew F. Smith, ed., The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink, , p. 384 Today, the dish is a common and popular street food in many cities throughout North America. Germany Germany has seen an increase in the popularity of falafel since the last decades of the 20th century. In Berlin, the areas of the former West Berlin play a special role, as they host a comparatively large Arab community. However, falafel shops have been located mainly in areas undergoing gentrification, rather than being chiefly part of an Arab subculture. While the operators are usually Arabs, the customers are predominantly middle-class Germans. Some restaurants associated with the thriving Jewish and Israeli community in Berlin also serve falafel. Falafel restaurants sometimes feature Middle-Eastern decor meant to give an impression of exotic authenticity. However, the food has been adapted. For example, a unique sweet mango sauce is used in place of the sour-salty amba found in the Middle East, and take-away sandwiches in pita bread typically contain assorted vegetables, pickles, and sauces, in contrast to simpler Middle-Eastern presentations. Vegetarianism Falafel has become popular among vegetarians and vegans, as an alternative to meat-based street foods, and is now sold in packaged mixes in health-food stores. While often used to make veggie burgers, it has become more widely used as a source of protein. In the United States, falafel's versatility has allowed for the reformulating of recipes for meatloaf, sloppy joes and spaghetti and meatballs into vegetarian dishes. Preparation and variations using an aleb falafel while frying falafel]] Falafel is made from fava beans or chickpeas. The use of chickpeas is predominant in most Middle Eastern countries, such as Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria. This version is the most popular in the West. In Egypt, fava beans, chickpeas, or often a combination of the two may be used. When chickpeas are used, they are not cooked prior to use (cooking the chickpeas will cause the falafel to fall apart, requiring adding some flour to use as a binder). Instead they are soaked (sometimes with baking soda) overnight, then ground together with various ingredients such as parsley, scallions, and garlic. Spices such as cumin and coriander are often added to the beans for added flavor. The mixture is shaped into balls or patties. This can be done by hand or with a tool called an aleb falafel (falafel mould). The mixture is usually deep fried, or it can be oven baked. When not served alone, falafel is often served with flat or unleavened bread, such as wrapped within lafa or stuffed in a hollow pita. Tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, and other garnishes, such as pickles can be added. Falafel is commonly accompanied by tahini. Falafel is typically ball-shaped, but is sometimes made in other shapes, particularly doughnut-shaped. The inside of falafel may be green (from green herbs such as parsley or green onion), or tan. When made with chickpeas, falafel is high in protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber. Key nutrients are calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, vitamin C, thiamine, pantothenic acid, vitamin B, and folate. Phytochemicals include beta-carotene. Falafel is high in soluble fiber, which has been shown to be effective in lowering blood cholesterol. Chickpeas are low in fat and contain no cholesterol, but a considerable amount of fat is absorbed during the frying process. Falafel can be baked to reduce the high fat content associated with frying. World records The current record for largest falafel ball, 74.75 kg (164.4 lb), was set on 28 July 2012 in Amman, Jordan by the Landmark hotel. Using a standard recipe, 10 chefs prepared the 130 cm diameter falafel ball. The record for largest serving of falafel, 5,173 kg (11,404 lb 8 oz), was set by Chef Ramzi Choueiri and the students of Al-Kafaat University (Lebanon) in Beirut on 9 May 2010. Tribute In 2019, falafel was added as an emoji by the Unicode Consortium, based partly on an argument that vegetarian, halal, kosher, and Middle Eastern/North African foods are underrepresented in the emoji food set. On 18 June 2019, falafel was celebrated with a Google Doodle. Gallery File:Falafel_mixture.JPG|Falafel mixture File:Falafel before frying.JPG|Falafel before frying File:Uncooked Falafel and Falafel Press.jpg|Uncooked falafel balls and a falafel press File:Falafels frying in egypt.jpg|Falafel balls frying File:Falafel 1.JPG|Falafel balls after frying References External links * [http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/12/recipe-of-the-day-falafel/ The New York Times "Recipe of the Day" for February 12, 2008] Category:Articles with inconsistent citation formats Category:Egyptian cuisine Category:Chickpea dishes Category:Middle Eastern cuisine Category:Arab cuisine Category:Israeli cuisine Category:Mizrahi Jewish cuisine Category:Palestinian cuisine Category:Jewish cuisine Category:Lebanese cuisine Category:Levantine cuisine Category:Syrian cuisine Category:Jordanian cuisine Category:Iraqi cuisine Category:Emirati cuisine Category:National dishes Category:Vegan cuisine Category:Street food Category:Deep fried foods